1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nursing garment suitable as a sleeping gown and more particularly accommodates the need of a nursing mother for support of the bosom during sleeping and provides for absorption of fluid leaking from the breasts during the night. The present invention relates to a garment which provides support to the wearer but does not restrict movement of the wearer without the necessity of wearing a bra, thus alleviating the discomfort and restrictions of wearing a bra. The present invention also relates to a garment suitable as a support bra for women who have undergone mastectomies, lump-ectomies and breast reduction to provide a garment with needed support after these surgeries.
The invented garment functions as a bra replacement for women who have undergone mastectomies, lump-ectomies and breast reduction. Women who have undergone these procedures may wear the present invention as a support top and use it to give them the support needed after these surgeries without the discomfort of wearing a bra. The top supports the wearer but does not restrict movement of the wearer.
The pockets in the present invention allow a woman wearing it after breast surgery to place her prosthetic device right into the top, rather than needing a separate garment to hold her prosthesis. These pockets allow the wearer to place the prosthesis in either or both sides of the top allowing a comfortable and more natural look.
The present invention is designed in a full length or waist length as well as a shorter, midriff length. This allows the wearer to wear the garment(s) in all stages of her recovery. Most patients are not allowed to wear bras or any garments that cut under the bust line after surgery. The top in the waist length allows the wearer to feel the support of a bra but not be restricted under the bust line. Upon further recovery, the patient can utilize the top in the shorter length or midriff length allowing the wearer to return to a bra type garment and still not have the need to layer a prosthetic holding bra or device under her bra because the pockets are in the present invention as well.
The invented garment overcomes the problem that there are no garments currently available in the mastectomy or breast reduction clothing market that have pockets for the prosthesis, encompassing a design that gives support to the “good” breast. Also the garments that are on the market typically consist of a looser design that does not support either breast. The present invention supports the “good” breast and holds the prosthetic device close to the body of the wearer for a natural, more comfortable fit and effect.
The purpose of the garment is to provide sleepwear for a nursing mother and a support bra for women who have undergone surgery. The garment accommodates the need of a nursing mother for support of the bosom without the requirement for a nursing brassiere being a necessity for sleeping and nursing. The garment is unique in that the garment provides support to the woman's bosom without the constrictions of a nursing bra. The garment is comfortable enough to wear every day and all day, yet holds the bosom to the body with support at night during sleep. The garment eliminates the need to wear a nursing bra and a pajama top or pajama jacket to bed. This garment is unique in that the invented garment avoids the constrictions of a bra, yet provides the needed support for the bosom, accommodates the need for a nursing bra, and accommodates the need of the infant to nurse. The garment is unique in that it functions as a support bra for women who have undergone mastectomies, lump-ectomies and breast reduction.
Many women need more support than others so a large busted woman will need more support than a small-busted woman. After pregnancy and birth of a child, even a small-busted woman frequently will have a larger bust than before the pregnancy and birth. The instant invented garment provides the means to adjust the garment and provide the needed support for either a large busted woman or for the change in bust size as required by the woman's changing size from pregnancy to post delivery.
During periods of nursing, while the infant is nursing at one breast, the stimulation occasioned by the feeding infant at the one breast can result in flow from the other breast of the woman in what has been termed “leakage.” The flow from the breast not in use can soak the woman's clothing and render the garments wet and uncomfortable to wear. The invented embodiment provides breast pad pockets to hold breast pads to contain leakage from the breasts.
The invented garment comprises a sleepwear garment for a nursing mother, the garment utilizing a fabric of a cotton blend with a stretch constituent fabric, spandex, the garment being designed as a shoulder supported garment of waist length with an elastic bias seam beneath the bust line and above the waist-length of the garment. Closure means of the upper overlays above the body-encircling bias seam is provided, the upper body overlays containing inside pockets for holding removable breast pads to contain breast leakage. The inside pockets can hold a prosthesis device if such is used.
The invented embodiment allows women to use breast pads if desired. If no breast pad is desired, the garment lies flat against the breasts and remains comfortable and supportive. A woman therefor can wear the garment in the invented embodiment long after the woman stops nursing. If breast pads are used for a few months and then discarded, the garment will return to a flatter shape and not hold the shape when breast pads were used. The invented garment with breast pad inserts in the breast pad pockets can be worn as a nursing garment and later as comfortable, supportive sleepwear and a support bra after the need for nursing has passed without the breast pad inserts. The invented embodiment allows women after breast surgery requiring a prosthesis to place the prosthesis device in the breast pad pockets of the garment rather than needing a separate garment to hold the prosthesis. The separate breast pad pockets allow the wearer to place the prosthesis in either or both sides of the garment to allow a comfortable and natural appearance without the discomfort of wearing a bra but with the support needed after surgery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many prior art nursing garments are known in the art to accommodate a nursing mother to nurse a child while wearing a garment. The prior art garments, however, tend to be directed to separate aspects of the problems a nursing mother encounters. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,439 relates to a nursing cape adapted to cover a mother's upper torso and drape over an infant while breast-feeding to provide a high level of privacy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,086 teaches a nursing garment which includes a vest which is attached to an undergarment which covers the upper torso of a nursing mother. The undergarment has a pair of openings through which the mother's breasts will protrude to permit nursing of a baby. Pockets formed in the vest on the inward side by a pair of flaps of liquid permeable material have liquid absorbent material inserted therein to absorb liquid which may leak from the nursing mother's breasts. The disposable or washable pads which fit therein and their use have been taught in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,692 discloses a garment which conceals a woman's breast while nursing and which can be worn over a wearer's existing clothing to allow a mother to nurse in public where access to privacy is unavailable. U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,725 provides a nursing garment with stretchable resilient support straps and a bodice. The straps are sufficiently resilient and stretchable so that the wearer can pull down the bodice to expose a breast for nursing, and when through, the wearer can return the bodice to its original position covering the breast. The bodice is V-necked and features a left cup and a right cup and is made to exhibit good horizontal stretch. The straps can be made of the same material as the bodice and can be of the same resilient and stretchable material. The bodice cups are formed by elastic shirring down the center of the bodice between the cups thus formed. A band below the cups serves to hold the bodice in place on the body of the wearer as well as to form the cups. Nursing pads or breast pads can be inserted between the material layers of the bodice and are removably secured. The cups support the breasts without a bra. In use, the wearer pulls down a cup to expose a breast, the cup being held under the breast by the contour and fold of the breast. The other breast remains in its cup. The garment can be of the empire style and reveal some breast cleavage to enhance the woman's figure.
Other prior art patents relate to similar related aspects of problems encountered by a nursing mother as to privacy and the need for nursing pads or the need to adjust her garment to feed an infant. U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,813 discloses a nursing garment having a pair of movable breast cover panels connected to opposite sides of an inwardly facing pleat face, the breast panels held in place by interior connections to conceal the wearer's breasts from view through the openings during normal wearing conditions. During nursing, the breast panels are moved through the slash opening of the pleat face to position the breast to allow the infant access to the breast. U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,501 discloses undergarments fabricated out of soft absorbent material. An undershirt has breast openings and nursing pads which cover the breast openings. The breast pads are removable to allow a woman to breast-feed a baby. U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,404 discloses a coordinated nursing slip and a nursing bra which can be worn separately or in combination. In combination, the slip bosom and the bra nursing flap open and close decorously as a unit to allow a mother to nurse her baby in semi-public surroundings with minimum social embarrassment. The nursing feature of the slip is invisible so that it could be worn as a regular slip after the nursing period is over. In use, the slip bosom and bra nursing flap are opened in unison to permit the mother to nurse. U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,743 discloses a gown for a mother to nurse an infant without partially disrobing. The gown is provided with two apertures, one on each side, essentially under each arm, each aperture so located that either breast can be exposed. The apertures are located to enable the mother to insert both hands at the same time to open a nursing type brassiere to nurse a child without opening the gown or exposing the body. U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,439 discloses a nursing gown with breast covering panels which can be dropped to expose either breast for the purpose of nursing.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention. Thus a nursing garment suitable as a sleeping gown and can function as a support bra for women who have undergone surgery, which particularly accommodates the need of a nursing mother for support of the bosom during sleep without the requirement for a nursing brassiere and provides for absorption of fluid leaking from the breasts during the night or from one breast when the infant is on the other breast is desired.